Josh Burkman vs. KJ Noons
The fight was the lightweight debut of Josh Burkman. The first round of the lightweight fight began and they touch gloves. Burkman lands a leg kick. Burkman looking to kick early, has missed more than he's landed. Burkman lands a body kick. 4:00 as he lands a nice leg kick and another. Burkman very calm, taking it patiently. Burkman lands a leg kick. Noons has landed nothing. Burkman lands another leg kick. 3:00. And an inside kick. Boos. Burkman lands a body kick. Burkman lands a leg kick. Noons' right side of his body is red. Burkman lands an inside kick. 2:00. Burkman lands a spinning kick to the body. Burkman lands an inside kick. Burkman lands a left, Noons runs out. Burkman lands a body kick. 1:00 as Burkman lands a nice right and a left to the body, Noons runs out. Boos. 35. Noons' strike percentage is 0 of 19. Burkman lands a body kick. And a blocked one. Burkman lands a high kick. 15. Noons comes forward and lands a right, lands a left, eats a right. R1 ends, 10-9 Burkman. Cut on inside of KJ's left hand. R2 began. Noons lands a nice right. Burkman lands an inside kick. Noons talks some trash. Burkman misses a high kick. Burkman grazes a right. Noons defends a single. Burkman working hard. Lifts KJ above his head, dumps him down. 4:00. Noons stands to the clinch and breaks. "Take him down!" Burkman lands a leg kick. And an inside kick. And a leg kick. 3:00. Noons lands a hard counter overhand left. Nice exchange. Burkman lands a leg kick. "Come on man!" KJ yells. Burkman lands a left. 2:00, lands a leg kick. "Look for that body a little bit!" Boos. Noons getting loose, lands a left to the body and a nice right hook. Noons coming forward more. Burkman lands an inside kick and a leg kick. 1:00. Burkman lands a left to the body and a right. Burkman lands a body kick. Boos. Burkman leg kick. Boos. Noons lands a right and a left both to the body inside. 15. Burkman blocks a high kick. Noons tries a spinning back kick, lands a backfist. R2 ends, 10-9 Burkman but closer, boos. KJ looks at that cut on his left hand immediately. "He's gonna try to take me down," he tells his corner. They tell him he needs the round. Big John brings 'em to the center before the next round starts, tells them to get after each other. R3 began. Burkman gets an immediate single. Noons working to stand. Thinking possible guillotine. Lets it go. Stands to the clinch. They break. Burkman lands a leg kick. Noons lands a right and a left. Noons lands a left and a right and a nice left, 4:00. Burkman may be hurt. Burkman breathing deeply, Noons corner yells that hes' tired. Burkman lands a left and a leg kick and a right uppercut, Noons lands a left hook. Noons stuffs a single. Burkman knees the body hard. Noons lands a huge counter right. That hurt. Noons lands a flying knee to the chest. Stuffs a single to the clinch. Burkman works for a double. 3:00. They break. Burkman visibly tired. Noons right to the body. And a left, sprawls a single. Both men are tired. Noons trying to stalk along the cage. Noons defending a single. Burkman switches to a deep double attempt. Not locked the hands yet. Switches back to a single. Noonss tuffs it. Burkman works another. "Trying to buy time with that takedown KJ!" They break. 2:00. Burkman lands a nice left. And a body kick. Burkman lands a partially blocked high kick. Burkman works a double, now a single. Noons defending desperately. "Elbow!" Noons lands a right elbow. Burkman working hard. Very hard. Burkman completes it against the cage. Noons standing. Noons defending another double, lands a couple right elbows. Burkman trying a single. Now a double. Noons lands a right elbow. Left elbow. 35. Burkman working hard. Lifts Noons, slams him. Half-guard. Noons thinking kimura. Loses it. Burkman right elbow. 10. Three rights. Two more. R3 ends, 10-9 Noons IMO but close. 29-28 Burkman. 30-27 UD. Wow. He said he had to lose 18 pounds in 24 hours and said it was the toughest weight cut of his career. "I thought I'd have a little more in the tank. KJ Noons is a hell of a fighter." Called someone out in the top ten. "I'm ready and I'm coming for my spot." Shout out to his two sons.